Saturday, September 29, 2012

Finding Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Equipment

If you're company is part of the pharmaceutical industry,
particularly on the manufacturing side of things, you are going to need
to find the correct equipment and some reliable providers from which to
purchase your equipment. Pharmaceutical manufacturing is one of the most
highly regulated industries in the world and any equipment purchased
must not only be safe for employees to operate safely, but be able to
guarantee consumer safety also. It is essential that care is taken to
purchase equipment that is able to provide products that are safe of the
public.

Many
large companies in the industry rely on contract pharma companies to
manufacture goods and outsource all drug and medicine production to
them; however there are still a great deal of companies that work
in-house to develop and manufacture new drugs and medicines. There are
vendors nationwide in the US as well as many internationally that that
supplies equipment, so finding what you need should never be a problem.

Your
first job will be to make a list of the things that you need and then
find a supplier that stocks the equipment. It is easier, and cheaper, if
you are able to purchase all of your equipment from one vendor, as
discounts are given for buying in bulk, however, the chances are that
you will need to go through several vendors to get everything that is
needed. Wholesalers and distributors are excellent for low-priced bulk
buying. You can easily find equipment suppliers online, as well as in
directories and industry journals.

New or Used?

As
pharmaceutical manufacturing is all about developing and producing drugs
and medicines that are used for public consumption, there are certain
things that will have to be purchased new. All capsules, seals, vials,
and packaging will need to be bought from suppliers new, but can be
bought in large quantities at reduced prices. The equipment used to in
the manufacturing process, however, may be able to be purchased used, or
reconditioned.

Tablet presses, hot melt extrusion machines,
packaging machines and mixing machines are all widely available
second-hand and will save you a lot of money when compared to buying
new. There is a difference between new machinery and reconditioned
machinery.

Used equipment is often purchased "as is", meaning
there is likely to be a few scratches and signs of wear and tear. You
can often pick up used equipment from pharmaceutical manufacturers that
are upgrading equipment. Reconditioned equipment presents a much better
deal. This equipment is used but is generally returned to the original
supplier who will then restore the machinery to ensure it is as good as
new. They will then retail it at a lower price and with a manufacturer
guarantee.

The downside to used and reconditioned equipment is the
fact that it is rarely available, and often does not come with the
service support and extended warranty of new equipment.